2022.11.21

"Ichida persimmon" (web limited article), which is nurtured by the people of Minami Shinshu and the culture

Image: "Ichida persimmon", which is nurtured by the people of Minami Shinshu and the culture

"Ichida persimmon" celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2021.
In late autumn, there are scenes where persimmons are hung here and there, and the sweet scent of persimmons spreads throughout the town.
It is still popular as a feature that tells Minami Shinshu about the arrival of winter.

Ichida persimmon used to be hung at the eaves of the house. Currently, it is produced under thorough management at a drying place scattered throughout the town.

A persimmon that is suspended from late autumn to early winter. As the surrounding trees gradually fade and starting to prepare for the winter, the persimmon keeps the vivid color brilliantly, while being illuminated by the soft late autumn sunlight, the water gradually turns into dried persimmons.

In Nagano Prefecture, both the production and shipments of such dried persimmons are ranked first in the country. Above all, Ichida persimmons account for more than 95%of dried persimmon production and shipments in Nagano Prefecture. It is called Ichida persimmon because it was cultivated in the southern part of Nagano Prefecture and in the Iida and Shimoina regions in Takamori -cho.

Kazuo Kawai

Shibata, a dried persimmon, was transmitted from China to Japan during the Nara period, and persimmons were cultivated early in the Iida and Shimoina regions. In the Edo period, it is common to pay annual tribute in rice nationwide, and it is said that in this area, it was cultivated so much that dried persimmons were stored as "small items (miscellaneous tax)".

Ichida persimmon logs were transmitted to this area in the late Edo period. It is said that it was taken home and planted from the Mino Country (now southern Gifu prefecture), which we stopped by during Ise. Originally, it was eaten in the hearth, pulled out the astringency, and was eaten by pulling out the sweetness, so it was known as "grilled persimmon" at the time. The reputation spread when it was delicious whether it was baked or dried, and it took root in this area. In 1921, the name of Ichida persimmon was beared, and it was shipped outside the prefecture, such as Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka, and in 1926, the prefectural agricultural examination site Shimoina branch (currently Nagano Prefectural Nankobu Agricultural Experiment Station) was established. Including cultivation as a suitable species in this area, Ichida persimmons have been cultivated in this area.

"In this area, from the early Meiji era to the early Showa era, sericulture was the main force of the industry, and persimmons were also used by applying persimmons and persimmons, which are effective as preservatives on the sericulture basket and net. As you can imagine, the sericulture needed persimmon astringent, so I guess it spread to this area. "

Ichida persimmon used to be hung at the eaves of the house. Currently, it is produced under thorough management at a drying place scattered throughout the town.

With the times, the sericulture industry declined, and after the war, many farmers changed their business from sericulture to fruit tree cultivation. Compared to apples and peaches, cultivation has expanded because the cultivation itself does not take any hassle and it is also useful as a valuable source of income in winter.

In Ichida persimmon making, it is an important point that is a delicious dried persimmon to remove the water inside while maintaining the softness of the surface, and the terrain and climate of this area are actually realized.

Kazuo Kawai

Ichida persimmon fields are spreading on the river terrace on the west side of the Tenryu River flowing north -south, sewing between the Central Alps and the Southern Alps, and there is a height difference in the east and west of the town. You can put in the fog).

By drying over time while giving the persimmon moderately moisture to persimmons, a solid texture is one of the charms of Ichida persimmon.

Yoshihiro Mibu

"The contents of dried persimmons do not dry when the surface becomes stiff. This" Asagiri "helps drain the water inside while keeping the surface softly. I think this is the reason why Ichida persimmon has taken root, "says Yoshihiro Mibu.

Ichida persimmon is smaller than other dried persimmons in Japan, but this small size is a well -balanced element that removes water. It dries until the persimmon weight is about 35 %, the vertical wrinkles and white powder are tight, and when the pulp becomes a vivid orange yokan, the drying is completed, and Ichida persimmon is completed.

Shigemoto Kimura

It is a white powder on the surface, which is one of the characteristics of Ichida persimmon, but the sugar content contained in the persimmon itself is crystallized. It comes out by carefully drying the persimmon while drying. In the past, it was a hand or shaken on a basket to put out powder. Currently, by rotating the persimmon in the firefighter, using a fir machine machine, water goes out and the persimmon itself becomes average water. By drying it again, the surface dries, and it seems that this work will remove the whole moisture without bias.

In 2016, Ichida persimmon was also recognized as a geographical display (GI) by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
"Ichida Kaki has been increasing quality levels over the years with the technical guidance of JA Minami Shinshu. It has become even more serious by being registered in GI there," he said. Mr. Miss.

Currently, we are careful about hygiene so that the quality does not fall apart by the creator, and we are producing Ichida persimmons under thorough management. Machines, such as peeling machines, are getting more efficient year by year, with such hardware aspects, the appearance and taste can be unified, and the production volume is increasing.

As natural dried fruits are becoming more popular nationwide, we are facing the problem of global warming and aging farmers.
"I feel the effects of global warming quite a bit. I can't help it because it's a natural phenomenon, but I think I have to think more about how to respond and make production in the future." 。

Ichida persimmon is increasing in demand, including secondary processing and exports to Western confectionery and Japanese confectionery. In 2021, the milestone of Ichida persimmon birth was reached for the next generation, and further skills were improved to connect to the next generation.

This article is information as of November 2022.
Please note that products handled are subject to change.